Week 27
Blog
Contemporary issue: Loneliness
Modern life is making us lonelier and I think it is a valid contemporary issue. With globalisation there are more people on the move and we are living further from friends and family. Increased immigration to New Zealand has been one of the factors causing over the top house prices and housing shortages. Many have gained in affluence while others struggle to find a place to rent. These stresses can make us feel alone and vulnerable. With advances in technology we may connect to hundreds via Facebook or Instagram yet we yearn for face to face communication and personal touch.
Family Matters:
Traditionally family has given us a sense of wellbeing and been the shelter when
storms come our way. But family is not so strong in contemporary society. Teens
wonder who they are and do they matter when Mum and Dad split up and find other
partners. There are stresses on single parent homes especially financially.
Other families are pained with addictions and children are neglected or abused.
For some boys there is an attraction in ‘belonging’ to a gang lifestyle and
many families lack the boundaries that teens need.
Adrian Franklin(2012) researched
loneliness in Australia and concluded that “social
relationships persist into the present time but no longer deliver or sustain
the same emotional qualities or intensities that make people feel they belong,
they matter and they are cared for.”
Recently a colleague was asked “how
good are the teachers at your school?” She replied ‘Well how good are you at
parenting? If you are doing the parenting we can get on and do the teaching.”
If only that were true. Schools and
educators are increasingly being asked to take on the rights and responsibilities
of parents. We are called to do more than the teaching.
ERO(2012) “encourages schools to develop systems, processes
and connections that put students at the
heart of learning and teaching, rather than on the periphery of school
decision-making and the curriculum.”
What does
research tell about the identified issue of loneliness?
Adolescence is a time
for establishing a sense of identity and in most Western countries a career
identity is dominant. This is now more difficult for schools as future careers
are less certain. One of our duties as educators is to help youth take steps
toward their adult roles and strengthen their self-concept.
Again ERO(2012)
comments that too many students are at risk of making poor progress and of
leaving school with few qualifications. The government’s goal of 85% of 18 year
olds attaining Level 2 is ‘deemed to equip students sufficiently to participate
in employment and society in a productive and successful manner’ (p5)
What
is the role of education in solving the problem of loneliness and self-concept?
“Those who have been
lonely for some time need support to change the view of themselves and how they
feel others will react to them.” (Harris, 2013)
I think there are 3
important roles that we have as educators today, based on ERO(2012)
- · We create rich learning programs that promote engagement and self-responsibility.
- · That students are partners in learning and are encouraged to bring what they know and their ways are valued and accepted. We help build a positive school culture.
- · We talk about progress, learning goals and next steps and promote an ethic of care for students’ success
References
Coney, S.
(1993). New Zealand: Youth suicide. The Lancet,341(8846), 683.
Education Review Office.
(2012). Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand
Schools. Retrieved 18 May 2016, from http://www.ero.govt.nz/About-Us/News-Media-Release...
Franklin,
Adrian. (2012). A lonely society? Loneliness and liquid modernity in
Australia.(Report). Australian Journal of Social Issues, 47(1), 11.
Harris,
Qualter, & Robinson. (2013). Loneliness trajectories from middle childhood
to pre-adolescence: Impact on perceived health and sleep disturbance. Journal of Adolescence, 36(6), 1295-1304.
OECD (2016), Trends Shaping Education
2016, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en
Wow what a different issue to look at and one that is of huge importance as well as something we all need to be acutely aware of with the suicide rates in New Zealand especially of our youth.
ReplyDeleteI think your analysis of the reasons for loneliness was in depth and to the point.The breakdown of the 'traditional' NZ family over the past number of decades has created many social issues - loneliness being one of them.
The rise of social media means many young people now communicate via a device so are losing the art of communicating face to face. They also 'think' they have many friends BUT do they actually know who their friends on social media are?
I agree our job as educators is so much more than just teaching these days and while I agree with your roles as quoted from the ERO Report (2012) I see strong positive relationships as a key to helping our students, as well as developing and encouraging them as good communicators and supporting them to participate and contribute their strengths and talents to society.
Very idealistic I know. As you mentioned in your opening paragraph the global reasons that are contributing to loneliness makes this issue a much wider one than just the students we as educators deal with.
Thank you for making me think.
Thanks for your comments Moira - I agree those key competencies in our Curriculum are vital for our students to learn and be prepared for their future.
DeleteAll the best, Sue
Week 27 Loneliness
ReplyDeleteHi Sue
I just loved the comment passed by the teacher who was asked how good were the teachers at your school. Her reply "How good are you at parenting?" "If you are doing the parenting we can get on and do the teaching."
I am a teacher in an emergent class at a decile 1 school. A large number of the children who come into my class have had very little parenting. They are young survivors. They need to be made aware of socially acceptable behaviours and language. Wanting to take a "piss" and I hate you or words slightly more coarser require redirecting. Some of my children need to be cuddled, shown sympathy and hear kind words. It truly makes a difference the warmth of touch and kind face to face conversations. Strange also how in my emergent class I place great emphasis on oral language as my children do not have strong oral language or good communication skills. Wow how the focus of teaching changes through the levels of teaching. I wonder if loneliness leads to depression amongst our teenagers? Perhaps we need to have deviceless days as we used to have carless days?
Thanks for sharing and WOW what a relevant topic to write about.
Thanks for your response Peggy. What a great idea- Deviceless days! I forgot we used to have carless days haha.
DeleteIt sounds like you have some very challenging students. As someone else wrote in a blog I think it all comes down to caring eh.
All the best, Sue
I too, loved the response your colleague made to the parent, it is so true. Sadly this is a growing concern that I too have, social media providing a sense of participation or escape for those who are not getting the attention or affection they should be from their parents/caregivers. I am in a decile 8 school, there is no shortage of issues there either. This is becoming a global concern I feel. For children who fall into the special needs corner are more so effected by this dilemma. Just another one to add to the list!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for your comment. One of the books I read these holidays was "Ghost Boy" - an amazing story of a boy who was unable to communicate yet he could hear and see everything around him. It made me much more aware of my need to care for and communicate with our special need students.
DeleteBest, Sue
I too, loved the response your colleague made to the parent, it is so true. Sadly this is a growing concern that I too have, social media providing a sense of participation or escape for those who are not getting the attention or affection they should be from their parents/caregivers. I am in a decile 8 school, there is no shortage of issues there either. This is becoming a global concern I feel. For children who fall into the special needs corner are more so effected by this dilemma. Just another one to add to the list!
ReplyDelete